...

README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+# HeroDB
+
+HeroDB is a Redis-compatible database built with Rust, offering a flexible and secure storage solution. It supports two primary storage backends: `redb` (default) and `sled`, both with full encryption capabilities. HeroDB aims to provide a robust and performant key-value store with advanced features like data-at-rest encryption, hash operations, list operations, and cursor-based scanning.
+
+## Purpose
+
+The main purpose of HeroDB is to offer a lightweight, embeddable, and Redis-compatible database that prioritizes data security through transparent encryption. It's designed for applications that require fast, reliable data storage with the option for strong cryptographic protection, without the overhead of a full-fledged Redis server.
+
+## Features
+
+- **Redis Compatibility**: Supports a subset of Redis commands over RESP (Redis Serialization Protocol) via TCP.
+- **Dual Backend Support**:
+    - `redb` (default): Optimized for concurrent access and high-throughput scenarios.
+    - `sled`: A lock-free, log-structured database, excellent for specific workloads.
+- **Data-at-Rest Encryption**: Transparent encryption for both backends using the `age` encryption library.
+- **Key-Value Operations**: Full support for basic string, hash, and list operations.
+- **Expiration**: Time-to-live (TTL) functionality for keys.
+- **Scanning**: Cursor-based iteration for keys and hash fields (`SCAN`, `HSCAN`).
+- **AGE Cryptography Commands**: HeroDB-specific extensions for cryptographic operations.
+
+## Quick Start
+
+### Building HeroDB
+
+To build HeroDB, navigate to the project root and run:
+
+```bash
+cargo build --release
+```
+
+### Running HeroDB
+
+You can start HeroDB with different backends and encryption options:
+
+#### Default `redb` Backend
+
+```bash
+./target/release/herodb --dir /tmp/herodb_redb --port 6379
+```
+
+#### `sled` Backend
+
+```bash
+./target/release/herodb --dir /tmp/herodb_sled --port 6379 --sled
+```
+
+#### `redb` with Encryption
+
+```bash
+./target/release/herodb --dir /tmp/herodb_encrypted --port 6379 --encrypt --key mysecretkey
+```
+
+#### `sled` with Encryption
+
+```bash
+./target/release/herodb --dir /tmp/herodb_sled_encrypted --port 6379 --sled --encrypt --key mysecretkey
+```
+
+## Usage with Redis Clients
+
+HeroDB can be interacted with using any standard Redis client, such as `redis-cli`, `redis-py` (Python), or `ioredis` (Node.js).
+
+### Example with `redis-cli`
+
+```bash
+redis-cli -p 6379 SET mykey "Hello from HeroDB!"
+redis-cli -p 6379 GET mykey
+# → "Hello from HeroDB!"
+
+redis-cli -p 6379 HSET user:1 name "Alice" age "30"
+redis-cli -p 6379 HGET user:1 name
+# → "Alice"
+
+redis-cli -p 6379 SCAN 0 MATCH user:* COUNT 10
+# → 1) "0"
+#    2) 1) "user:1"
+```
+
+## Documentation
+
+For more detailed information on commands, features, and advanced usage, please refer to the documentation:
+
+- [Basics](docs/basics.md)
+- [Supported Commands](docs/cmds.md)
+- [AGE Cryptography](docs/age.md)